Brooklyn State Assemblyman Dov Hikind says he’s “frankly aghast” at Mayor Bloomberg’s comments concerning a controversial circumcision under review by the city Health Department.
Hikind said Bloomberg’s comments on metzitzah b’peh, in which the mohel performing a bris removes the blood from the baby’s circumcision wound by mouth, were insensitive and disrespectful.
“Orthodox Judaism isn’t barbaric,” said Hikind, an Orthodox Jew. “Who cares more about children than their own parents? There’s no call for Mayor Bloomberg to speak disrespectfully to our community, to speak condescendingly about our cultural traditions.”
“This issue is not about soda pop,” Hikind added, getting in a swipe at the mayor’s mission to limit sugary soda sales. “it’s about religious tenets and it requires an extremely sensitive and respectful approach, not flip remarks that are insulting to an entire community.”
Bloomberg said Tuesday that the practice of metzitzah b’peh, which is under review by the New York City Health Department and was the subject of a recent hearing, is potentially dangerous to newborns.
“There are certain practices that doctors say are not safe and we will not permit those practices to the extend that we can stop them,” Bloomberg said. “You don’t have a right to put any child’s life in danger, and this clearly does.”
Metzitzah b’peh came under harsh scrutiny after the death of a Brooklyn infant who died after contracting herpes through the ritual.
Asked about Hikind’s criticism, a Health Department spokesperson told The Daily Politics, “There is no safe way to perform oral suction on any open wound in a newborn. To protect infant health, parents considering ritual Jewish circumcision need to know that circumcision should only be performed under sterile conditions, like any other procedures that create open cuts, whether by mohelim or medical professionals.”
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6 Responses
Is it my imagination, that Bloomberg has become increasingly radical in his last and final term? Rabosai!!!. Wake up and smell the coffee. If Obama wins another term, Bloomberg will pale in comparison to what Obama will do. Jews all over should mobilize in the tens of thousands and vote . No chances.
Liberals believe they know better than (what they consider) the unwashed masses. As a result, they want to control every aspect of your life as you don’t know what you’re doing.
Why is he “frankly aghast” at Mayor Bloomberg’s comments? As a liberal, hikind should be used to the nanny state.
Why oh Why is it stated as a fact that the baby r’l died as a result of contacting Herpes through MBP?
There have been numerous articles written demonstrating that that is not the case, the parents of the child, who probably spent a lot more time looking in to this then anyone else stated that this is not the case.
In all probability the herpes was contracted from a sibling who had herpes and was in contact with the child.
They claim they are not trying to infringe on our life, they claim to respect our “rituals”.
Then why the lies?
Why the persistent lies?
Why the blatant distortion of the facts?
Why the demonizing of entire communities, communities of Mothers and Fathers whose entire lives revolve around thier children?
Here are the new Bloomberg guidelines for conducting Bris Milah:
1. No smoking
2. No TransFats
3. No Soda over 16 ounces
4. No Metzitza BePeh
5. No Police (He wants them to go on strike. See news Stories)
There is only one group in NY City that that Bloomberg allows–and even encourages–to do metzitza Bepeh. I will not spell it out for you. Figure it out for yourself!
Ben Levi I think you can go after those publications for stating as fact the MBP death casual relation. I think it’s a legal issue, if you pursue them they might apologize and that will be a small victory on our part.